Our Problem
by Jkupchurch
Summary: Bob is dead, Johnny and Ponyboy are gone. Cherry, Marcia, and Randy meet and talk about how this is their problem. One Shot, all credit goes to SE Hinton for writing the lovely book that inspired this story


**I don't use beta's~Get over it**

"We can't just ignore this Randy!" Cherry's voice rose higher and higher the longer this conversation went on, her frustration was beginning to show. "Cherry's right Randy, I mean, it is our fault." Marcia's voice was softer, calmer.

Randy's eyes stayed staring straight down. His gaze never leaving ground. "I know, but what can we do?" Shock coated his voice. Nothing too bad, but like everyone else he still was trying to figure out what had happened. Just three days ago he and Bob had been driving around. Just three days ago Bob was still alive.

"I say we tell the truth." Randy's head snapped up hearing Cherry's words. The truth? What was the truth... Everything from the past few days was a blur. There was no truth anymore, everything was a coat of lies. "The truth is dead Cherry, gone. We're in too deep now. Imagine what would happen if we told the truth now."

Cherry knew that he was right, telling the truth would only end bad for them. But there wasn't anything worse that could happen, right? Bob was dead, Johnny who looked so hurt and broken had killed him. What's worse than this? A lot.

"Randy we can't just let them go to jail, whenever they do find them. It shouldn't take too long now, I mean, the fuzz knows they headed towards Texas."  
Marcia looked at Cherry, almost in shock about what her friend had just said. She used greaser slang, that was the first thing pointing to something being wrong. It may be the fact that she seemed to care about what happened to the greasers that made the second problem. Sure, she cared, Johnny and Ponyboy were friends of Two-Bit. Something just seemed wrong about caring though.

"Cherry, maybe Randy is right. Telling the truth could only end bad for us." Marcia was beginning to fall into the pool of lies, false truths. Cherry just eyed her two friends, raising a brow looking at the two of them. "You guys are in too deep. I'm not."  
The truth in her words hit Randy and Marcia in the face. They were so worried about themselves, they didn't even bother thinking of the truth. Thinking of what may happen to Johnny and Ponyboy, what their families already go through.

"Cherry, I'm sorry." Marcia started quietly, unsure of how to finish her words. Randy, however, spoke up for her. "We were thinking of ourselves, not of the greasers-" "Stop talking there." Cherry interrupted Randy, her eyes darkening. "They aren't greasers Randy, they have names. And their names are Johnny and Ponyboy."

"You really care about them don't you." Cherry turned around, to be faced with the one greaser she never wanted to see again. "Dallas." Grinning Dally waved to Marcia and glared at Randy.

"Now I never said that did I?" Stepping back towards her friends in a defensive way she lowered her eyes at Dally. "How much of that did you hear?" "Just enough to know that they're not greasers, they're Johnny and Ponyboy." That was enough to worry Cherry, if Dally went around saying she cared about them her reputation was ruined.

"What do you even want Dallas?" Her voice was cold and bitter as she spoke. "I just wanted to talk to you, but it seems some others," his eyes lingered on Randy and Marica. "Seem to have gotten to you first. But how 'bout this, if you agree to talk to me, I'll buy you a coke." A bribe. Dallas Winston was bribing Cherry Valance.

Turning to look at Marcia and Randy real quick Cherry thought over the offer in her head. Sure, she liked Dallas. Hell, she'd love to go out with him, but it wouldn't be a good idea. That was a fact. Something bad would happen and all she worked for would crash and burn. Yeah, falling in love with Dallas Winston was not one her bucket list.

"Go to hell Dallas." She spat at him before turning and walking away. Not giving him another look. "Marcia, Randy. Come on." Motioning for them to join her she started towards the cars, imagining the grin on Dally's face. She'd have to take up his offer sometime, just not now. Not until Ponyboy and Johnny have been found.

Taking a look around to be sure they'd gotten far enough away from Dally to talk she turned to Marcia and Randy.

"This is our problem now, and we aren't lying anymore. Look where that's gotten us in life. Now I don't know about you two, but I'm going to testify for them, that you two," her eyes shot at Randy. "Were looking for a fight, and they just defended themselves."

Giving each of them one last look Cherry took the final steps to her car. Getting in she immediately started it, and drove away. Far away from them, from everyone. When she finally did stop, she laid her head on the steering wheel and just cried.

A/N

**Lovely story right? This is a one-shot... Hope you liked it, I felt like writing and well, this happened. Adios~  
~JKUPCHURCH**


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